Every day your teens are thinking about their sexuality as they search for meaning in their lives. Now there's a curriculum for Catholic teenagers based on the Theology of the Body that helps them understand the significance of their sexuality and the purpose of their lives. Introducing, Theology of the Body for Teens: Discovering God's Plan for Love and Life.

Theology of the Body For Teens Student Workbook.

Pope John Paul II's revolutionary Theology of the Body is changing lives around the world through its positive portrayal of our sexuality as a good and essential part of love and life. Theology of the Body for Teens brings this exciting teaching into a practical format of 12 lessons that teenagers will enjoy and understand.

What is the Theology of the Body?

Pope John Paul II devoted the first major teaching project of his pontificate – 129 short talks between September of 1979 and November of 1984 – to provide a profoundly beautiful vision of human sexuality. he gave this project the working title " Theology of the Body."

By helping us understand this profound interconnection between sex and the Christian mystery, John Paul's Theology of the Body not only paves the way for lasting renewal of marriage and the family; it enables everyone to rediscover "the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life" (Oct 29, 80).

How is the program implemented?

The Theology of the Body for Teens program is divided into 12 unique segments that reflect the pedagogical approach of Pope John Paul II's teaching.

Theology of the Body for Teens has been designed specifically as a catechetical program which fits perfectly into Catholic schools, CCD, youth ministry, and homeschooling settings.

What will your teens learn from this program?

Theology of the Body for Teens answers questions such as:

Why did God give us our sexual desires?

What is the difference between love and lust?

What does our sexuality teach us about God?

Can Christ bring healing to me if I've already "messed up"?

What is the "language of the body" and how do I "speak" it?

How can I discover my vocation?

How far is "too far"?

How can teens remain pure in our oversexed culture?

Does waiting for sex make marriages stronger?

Is there any hope for overcoming lust and pornography?

....and many more.

Using a great mix of stories , real-life examples, activities, prayers, and references to the culture that teens understand, this program takes the two hottest topics on the planet - God and sex - and "marries" them through Pope John Paul II's compelling vision for love and life.

Jason and Crystalina Evert are full-time apologists with Chatholic Answers and speak internationally on the topic of chastity to more than 100,000 teens each year in Catholic, Protestant, and public junior and senior high schools.

Brian Butler is the Associate Director of Youth Catechesis in Secondary Schools and Parishes for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and is co-founder of the youth apostolate Dumb Ox Productions.

Each lesson can take anywhere between 60-120 minutes to complete, depending on the needs of the group. Each segment includes "core" lessons, and optional sections. The teacher or group leader can choose which optional sections to include, as desired.

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY FOR TEENS PROGRAM OUTLINE:

1. Created for Love

The Theology of the Body points us to God's intended destiny for all human beings: heaven. Highlighting some of the painful realities of our modern culture, this segment ends with a powerful message of hope—showing teens that God desires an intimate, intense relationship with each of us and how our bodies actually reveal His eternal plan for humanity.

2. Love Defined ("Historical Man")

Recognizing that teens are often more in touch with their own bodies and experiences than they are with grasping God's original plan for humanity, this segment analyzes how humans have lived throughout history and discusses man's constant battle between love and lust.

3. Naked Without Shame ("Original Man")

In the beginning, God created man and woman as gifts for each other, with goodness, peace, and purity of heart. This segment brings teens back to the beauty and purpose of God's original plan, when Adam and Eve lived in perfect freedom.

4. Hope and Redemption ("Eschatological Man")

Since many teens have used others and have been used themselves, there is a great need in our catechesis for hope and healing. Teens will learn that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. In Christ, we can start anew and look forward to our destiny of heaven.

Teens often think that freedom is being able to do "whatever they want, whenever they want." This segment explores the nature of authentic freedom as the ability to choose the good and to accept the demands of autentic love.

5. Truth and Freedom

6. Language of the Body

Some of the greatest signs are those expressed with the body, including those that people use when expressing affection sexually, specifically in the act of intercourse which says, " I give all of myself to you and to you alone." Here, teens will learn how to "speak the truth with the body."

7. Free, Total, Faithful, Fruitful

As a man, Jesus demonstrated for us how to be fully human by giving himself fully for us. Openness to receiving God's love enables us to enter relationships of "giving and receiving" with others, and these relationships must be free, total, faithful, and fruitful, in order to fully imitate Christ.

8. Marriage

The Theology of the Body highlights a woman's ability to image the Church and man's ability to image God the Father as the initiator of the gift—one who generously loves and serves. In this segment, the Sacrament of Marriage is shown to be the tangible and resounding image of God's love for us. 9. Celibacy and Religious Life

In this segment, the nature of the celibate vocation as a type of marriage is explored. Teens discover that celibacy is much more than sacrificing sex and earthly marriage; celibacy is actually a foreshadowing of the eternal marriage we are all called to experience in heaven.

After outlining the vocations, this segment stresses the beauty of the particular vocation to which God calls each of us. In practical ways, teens learn how to pray and hear God's voice.

11. Dating with Purpose and Purity

This segment is packed with practical tips for dating purely in a society that encourages selfishness and sexual promiscuity. Questions such as, "What is the point of dating?" and "How can I remain pure if I'm not getting married for another ten years?" are answered.

12. Living the Good Life

This final segment is a wrap-up of how teens can actually live the Theology of the Body in their lives, offering concrete and practical suggestions. Teens are empowered to live "on the edge" as a member of the Body of Christ so that they might be a part of changing the world with love.